Shoe with interlaced vamp elements



Dec. 19 1950 H. JOHNSON SHOE wrm INTERLACED VAMP ELEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 31, 1947 Deco 119, 1950 H. H. JOHNSON SHOE WITH INTERLACED VAMP ELEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 51, 1947 Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES OFFICE 3 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to shoe with interlaced vamp elements having adjustable Vamps, to the Vamps, and to the manufacture of such footwear.

The necessity of having footwear available for the public through a substantial size range, by which term I mean both lengths and widths, creates real problems to the manufacturer and to the retailer. A size range of sufficient latitude to make it possible for the great majority of the public to be quickly and properly fitted imposes heavy expense on the manufacturer and the retailer which could be avoided if it was not necessary to make and stock footwear in so many different sizes.

The broad objective of my invention is to provide footwear having adjustable vamp-s so that the same shoe, through adjustment of its vamp, may be made to fit properly an appreciable range of foot sizes. As a result, my invention makes substantial economies available to the manufacturer due to savings in die and pattern costs and to the retailer while ensuring better service to the public.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a vamp consisting of at least two sections which, when properly assembled, relative to the sole structure and to each other, establish a vamp. Adjustable means to interconnect the vamp sections enable its size to be varied without appreciably altering its cross sectional shape and means to lock the vamp sections togther, when the desired vamp size has been determined and established, ensure the maintenance of that size during use.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown illustrative embodiments of my invention from which its many novel features and advantages will be readily apparent. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a shoe in accordance with my invention with the vamp sections disconnected.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of one of the vamp sections.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the shoe of Fig. l with the vamp sections connected and locked together.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view, in perspective, of another embodiment of my invention, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are top and side views, respectively, of another embodiment of my invention.

While footwear and Vamps may be variously made in accordance with my invention, I have shown embodiments thereof which combine economy in manufacture and attractiveness of appearance with an easily and accurately established and maintained vamp size adjustment.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1-3, I have indicated at It a sole structure to which is attached conventional ankle engaging straps H and vamp sections I2 and i3.

The vamp sections 12 and 13 have strap portions M and i5 respectively and I have shown the amp section i 2 as having three substantially parallel slits l 6, ii, and l 8 formed therein so that the strap portion I5 may underlie the strap portion l 4. and pass upwardly through the slit l6 and through the loop l9 established by the slits H and [8. The vamp section l3 has a pair of substantially parallel slits 20 establishing a loop 2! through which the strap portion It extends. The loops is and 2! may, of course, be otherwise formed and disposed.

With the sections l2 and I3 thus assembled to complete the vamp, its size may be decreased without appreciably altering its cross sectional shape, by pulling both strap portions until the desired vamp size is established.

The sections l2 and 53 are then looked together so that the established size will be maintained during use. While this may be variously accomplished as by adhesive or suitable fasteners, I prefer to provide the vamp section 53 with a buckle 22 disposed to receive the strap portion 14 which is formed with a series of buckle tongue receiving apertures as suggested at 23, 24, and 25. These are preferably spaced so that each represents a predetermined size. For example, the aperture 25 may represent one width in a size five shoe and the apertures 24 and 23 indicate two other widths respectively for a size five shoe. By the same token, such other widths may also constitute smaller widths in a size five and onehalf shoe. It is well known that human feet vary widely as to size and shape so that it is impossible to provide each person with perfectly fitted shoes when footwear is made in predetermined sizes. Where a perfect fit is desired, I prefer to lock the assembled vamp sections together as by an adhesive after they have been adjusted to provide a true fit for the feet of the purchaser.

While the vamp sections may be established and attached to the sole structure in any desired way, they must be accurately made and attached ifv it is desired to adjustably interconnect the vamp sections to establish difierent sizes accurately. For that reason, I have shown in Fig. 2 that the vamp sections may have, adjacent their margins, indicia 26 which, when brought into predetermined relation to a predetermined sole structure, ensures that vamp sizes may be accurately established.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a shoe having a toe piece generaly indicatd at 27. The toe piece 2!, while it otherwise may be of any desired construction, consists of section 28 and 29 marginally secured to the sole structure :3 and with their adjacent edges overlapping to establish a substantially closed toe. The rear edges of the sections 28 and 29 are united to the front edges of the vamp sections I2 and [3 as along lines 39 and preferably terminating well below the adjacent edges of the vamp sections. Preferably, the vamp sections overlie the edges of the toe piece sections to which they are secured. By this construction, the toe piece sections to which they are secured. By this construction, the toe piece is adjustable and it and vamp are secured together so that when the vamp is adjusted, corresponding change in the size of the toe piece ensues.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the upper structure includes a heel portion 3| carrying buckles 32 and 33. The vamp sections 34 and 35 are generally similar to the vamp sections 12 and i3 of Figs. 1-4 except that the set of slits 36, 31, and 38, the pair of slits 39, and the strap portions 39 and ii are so formed and disposed that the strap portion 98 and 4| extend to the rear to be locked in an adjusted position by the buckles 32 and 33. Preferably, each strap portion 4%; and ii includes an elastic or like section #32 to enable the shoe to flex without exerting a pull on the strap that would tend to draw the sections 3 and35 together too tightly. In this embodiment of .my invention, an additional advantage results from the fact that the heel and vamp portions are interconnected to approach the strength and support of a shoe with a full or complete upper.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that my invention makes possible on an eificient and economical basis, footwear that is attractive in appearance and adapted to be accurately fitted and at the same time affords substantial economies to the manufacturer and retailer because of the Variety of sizes that each-shoe is adapted to establish while protecting the purchaser against improperly fitting shoes purchased on the basis of a marked size.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Footwear comprising a sole structure and an upper portion including a vamp, said vamp comprising first and second sections, corresponding edges of said sections being secured to opposite margins of said sole structure, each of said sections including a part tapering to integral strap portion, said first section having three slits therein to enable the strap portion of the second section to pass upwardly through the first of said slits and through the loop established by the second and third slits, said second section having a pair of slits therein to establish a loop to receive the strap portion of the first section, and means to lock to the upper portion the extremity of the strap portion of said first section that extends through and is exposed beyond the loop of thesecond section.

2. Footwear comprising a sole structure and an upper including a vamp, said vamp comprising first and second sections, corresponding edges of said sections being secured to opposite margins of said sole structure, each of said sections including a part tapering to an integral strap'portion, said first section having three slits therein to enable the strap portion of the second section to pass upwardly through the first of said slits and through the loop established by the second and third slits, said second section having a pair of slits therein to establish a loop to receive the strap portion of the first section, and means to lock the strap portion of said first section to said second section.

3. Footwear comprising a sole structure and an upper including a vamp and a heel portion, said vamp comprising first and second sections, corresponding edges of said sections being secured to opposite margins of said sole structure, each of said sections including a part tapering to an integral strap portion, said first section having three slits therein to pass upwardly through the first of said slits and through the loop established by the second and third slits, said second section having a pair of slits therein to establish a loop to receive the strap portion of the first section, a buckle on each side of said heel portion, said straps extending rearwardly from opposite sides of said vamp and each having a series of buckle tongue receiving apertures spaced from each other in a predetermined order to enable the straps to be buckled to said heel part to establish a vamp size determined by the aperture spacing.

HARRY H. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date ,292,297 Sherlock Aug. 4, 1942 2,377,119 Amenta May 29, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 55,308 Denmark Sept. 19, 1938 347,333 Italy Apr. 6, 1937 798,628 .France Mar. 10, 1936 

